Children with chronic disease, who are not already covered, can be denied coverage

This was a mistake in the bill, which the White House is hurrying to fix:

Under the new law, insurance companies still would be able to refuse new coverage to children because of a pre-existing medical problem, said Karen Lightfoot, spokeswoman for the House Energy and Commerce Committee, one of the main congressional panels that wrote the bill Obama signed into law Tuesday.

Illegal immigrants

People who can't afford health insurance and don't qualify for Medicare

If the cheapest available plan eats up more than 8 per cent of your income, you can decline coverage without penalty.

Civil disobedients

People who don't want coverage can pay the penalty.

For the young and healthy, it could be a decision that saves money.

Poor people who choose not to enroll in Medicare

Plenty of poor people refuse or don't know about the free coverage offered by Medicare. They will still have this right.

The Amish

The Amish were the sole religion to obtain an exemption, though others will almost certainly sue for their own.